A consideration in the design of an electronic system, such as a computer system and server, is the implementation of a heat dissipation apparatus in the system. Generally, there are many electronic components in a system, with each component generating heat during operation. To prevent damage to the components, a heat dissipation apparatus is used. Typically, a heat dissipation apparatus includes an airflow generator, such as a fan, to generate a flow of air to transport heat away from the heat-producing components, which are usually thermally contacted to heat sinks or heat spreaders. Often, there are multiple airflow generators (e.g., fans) within a system to generate airflow in different parts of the system.
One of the issues associated with any system is the presence of obstacles to airflow. Many systems, such as servers, notebook or laptop computer systems, or personal digital assistants (PDAs), have continued to decrease in size while their performance levels have continued to increase. A smaller size means that a greater density of components are packed within a chassis of a given system. The components in a small space act as obstacles to airflow, resulting in an increase of resistance or impedance to airflow generated by one or more airflow generators in the system. Consequently, system designers face increasing challenges in the selection of appropriate airflow generators.
Selection of an airflow generator that does not have the ability to provide adequate airflow within a system means that a greater burden is placed on the airflow generator. Usually, this means reduced reliability, greater noise emission, and reduced system cooling performance. On the other hand, selection of an airflow generator that has too much capacity may result in larger and more airflow generators than necessary resulting in higher cost and lower packaging density.